The construction industry re-introduces vintage advertisements to attract more young blood to join the industry in its golden age of development

The construction industry will enter a golden age of development in the next 20 years with the finalization of Hong Kong’s future infrastructure blueprint. The total construction value of the public and private sectors will increase to around HKD 300 billion per year, necessitating a concerted approach to encourage young people to join the construction industry. In this connection, an innovative recruitment campaign has been launched both online and offline, starting this month.

Over the years, the classic advertising lines of “I took part in building the Hong Kong Coliseum and Island Eastern Corridor!”, “The pay is, hahaha!”, “I want to find a nice apartment for my wife” have been deeply rooted in people’s hearts. A new series of television commerecials on the theme of “Design for Future, Build for Life” has just been released, starring Kaki Sham, who played a construction worker during his early acting career. The commercial places Shum back in the classic recruitment commercial by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in 1987, together with Kwok Leung Yau, the first leading actor of the construction commercial, as they witnessed how the construction industry has become a dream job with high pay for multi-generations.

To complement the launch of the latest commercial, a brand-new giant billboard has made its sparkling debut in Causeway Bay. Featuring eye-catching job advertisements in retro newspapers, the billboard has created a instagrammable sensation in bustling Causeway Bay, as pedestrians stop to take pictures.

Towards a digital transformation

To support Hong Kong’s development into a world-class smart city, construction digitalization is an important piece of the puzzle. The industry has always been dedicated to promoting construction digital transformation, improving the safety and productivity in construction sites through innovative technology applications, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, Cloud storage, etc; and completing modern construction by adopting a fully automatic working mode and introducing painting robots and robotic arms.

Currently, students could reach their full potential through different learning pathways. For example, those who have completed the three-year advanced diploma program can obtain a starting salary of $20,000, which is higher than the average starting salary of university graduates. After undergoing on-the-job training and taking construction-related degree courses, they can obtain a professional engineer qualification within seven years with a starting salary reaching $45,000. According to the latest 2022-2023 workers' salary report released by the Hong Kong Construction Industry Federation of Trade Unions at the end of 2022, the pay for most types of construction work has seen increases with the highest pay rise reaching 12.5% and an average salary rate rise of 5.8%.

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Degree holder
Starting salary: $23K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $45K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $80-100K+

HKIC Diploma in Construction
Starting salary: $15K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $30K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $50K+

*Information provided by organizations in the industry for reference.

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With the construction industry entering a golden era for the next 20 years based on the Hong Kong Future Infrastructure Blueprint, there are plentiful opportunities for new blood and existing workers. In the next few years, the government is expected to gradually increase its capital works expenditure to more than HKD 100 billion per year, and taking into account private projects, the overall total project volume is estimated to increase to around HKD 300 billion per year, providing promising opportunities for both employment and development.

Professional bodies of the industry have strengthened their training programs in recent years, providing extra training for around 4,000 skilled workers and new blood per year. To attract more new blood to join the construction family, the Development Bureau, Construction Industry Council, and different organizations from the industry have embarked on promotion schemes specifically targeting young people and students, like television dramas, online games, and STEAM education. More related transmedia promotion will be launched shortly. Stay tuned!